The Applied Soil Ecology Lab is well-equipped for research in the field and lab. Its students and personnel also have access to and regularly use Department of Soil Science equipment and Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences research and teaching facilities.
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Field Equipment
Gas, Soil, & Plant Chemistry Equipment
Soil Ecology & Molecular Biology Equipment
Department of Soil Science Equipment
Research Stations and Teaching Facilities
Applied Soil Ecology Lab Facilities
Field Equipment
- DJI Matrice 100 Quadcopter Drone with a mounted MicaSense Red Edge 5-channel camera
- Multi-spectral active reflectance sensor for NDRE computation (CropCircle 470, Holland Scientific Inc.)
- Active reflectance sensor for NDVI computation (Trimble GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor)
- Passive reflectance sensor (Multi-spectral camera)
- Tunable diode laser for flux-gradient estimation of N2O and CO2 from soil (Campbell TGAS100A)
- 3-D Sonic Anemometers (Campbell CSAT3)
- Open Path CO2 Gas Analyzer (Li-7500, LI-COR Biosciences)
- Open Path CH4 Gas Analyzer (Li-7700, LI-COR Biosciences)
- RM Young Wind Speed and Direction Monitor
- Campbell Scientific weather stations including
- Air temperature and relative humidity sensors (HMP45C and HMP60, Vaisala Inc.)
- Tipping bucket rain gauge (TR-525M Rainfall Sensor, The Texas Instruments, Inc.)
- Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) system (Gasmet DX 4015)
- Flow through steady-state chambers
- Automated Soil CO2 Flux System (Li-8100A, LI-COR Biosciences)
- Quantum cascade-ICOS Fast Response Methane Analyzer (Los Gatos RMT200)
- Raven AccuFlow condenser and Sidekick unit (Raven Industries) for application of anhydrous ammonia
- Toolbar for in-season liquid fertilizer application capable of mid row injection or foliar dribble band
- More than 500 static-vented chambers for gas sampling
- Passive dosimeter chambers for gas sampling
- Manual Dutch auger and BackSaver soil corers
- ECH2O soil moisture probes
- Passive wick drainage lysimeters (Drain Gauge G3 Lysimeter, Meter Group)
- Temperature probes
- Data loggers (CR1000X) and multiplexers
- Covered and insulated trailers
Gas, Soil, & Plant Chemistry Equipment
- 3D Printer (Ender 5 Plus)
- Automated triple-detector gas chromatographs for determining CO2, N2O, and CH4 (SCION 456)
- Automated gas chromatograph for determining O2 (SCION 436)
- Zero air generator (Parker Balston)
- Hydrogen generator (Parker Balston)
- Exetainer® vial auto-evacuator
- Dual-channel ion chromatography system (Dionex ICS-1000) and autosampler (Dionex AS40 Automated Sampler) for cation, anion and volatile fatty acid analyses
- Dry combustion analyzer (Vario Max Cube CNS, Elementar)
©Marliese Peterson
- Automatic grain moisture meter (Dimo’s Tool & Die Ltd. Labtronics® Model 919® Automatic Moisture Meter)
- UV-visible spectrophotometer with long path optical sensing tube
- Microbial-biomass chloroform fumigation apparatus
- Lab bench drying ovens
- Upright and shaker incubators
- Bench-top centrifuges and floor standing centrifuge
- Oil redox and oxygen-diffusion probes and meters
Soil Ecology & Molecular Biology Equipment
- ISO 5 HEPA-filtered air and UV light irradiated PCR clean bench / laminar hood (AirClean® Systems AC600 Series PCR Workstation with UVTect™ microprocessor controller)
- Conventional and real time PCR instruments
- CFX96 Touch™ Real-Time PCR Detection System (BIO-RAD)
- Mastercycler™ pro PCR System (Eppendorf)
- T100™ Thermal Cycler (BIO-RAD)
- Qubit 4 Fluorometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
- Gel electrophoresis systems and imaging (Syngene G:BOX)
- Full-spectrum, UV-Vis spectrophotometer (NanoDrop™ 2000 Spectrophotometer, Thermo Fisher Scientific)
- Bead beaters (Mini-Beadbeater, Biospec Products)
- Micro-centrifuge (IEC Microlite Microcentrifuge, Thermo Electron) and combined centrifuge/vortex mixer (PCV-2400, Grant-bio)
- Autoclave
- Laminar flow hoods
- Incubators
- Water Bath (Isotemp™ Digital 2320 Water Bath, Fisher Scientific)
- Dry Bath (Isotemp™ Digital Dry Bath, Fisher Scientific)
- Laboratory blender
- Fluorescence microscope (OLYMPUS BX51) with high resolution FireWire™ Digital CCD color camera (OLYMPUS Q-Color3™) and QCapture software
- Bright-field compound, dissecting, and inverted microscopes
- Baermann-funnel and Berlese Tullgren equipment
- USDA soil nematode cyst extractor
Departmental of Soil Science Equipment
- Agronomic field operation equipment including
- Tractors (John Deere 5410 and John Deere 1050)
- Seeder: R-Tech Industries Ltd. JT-AB “Thor” plot seeder outfitted with Bourgault Mid-Row disk-style banders (Bourgault Industries Ltd.) capable of variable rate granular, liquid, and anhydrous ammonia application
- Planter: John Deere MaxEmerge 1755 four row vacuum planter with 2″ x 2″ side banders, modified for variable rate granular and liquid fertilizer application
- Three point hitch plot sprayer with T-jet nozzle bodies and 300 L tank for pesticide application
- Three point hitch rotovator
- Three point hitch mower
- Tractor mounted hydraulic corer (Giddings Machine Company)
- Compost turner (Brown Bear Corporation)
- Poulan Pro Rototiller
- Plot combine & thresher (mobile and stationary) (Classic, Wintersteiger Inc.) with a corn header and small grains header
- 4×4 field trucks (automatic drive)
- Trailers for hauling equipment
- Technicon Autoanalyzer II Systems for soil nutrients (NH4+, NO3–, Acid-P, DOC, SO4–, and urea)
- Walk-in refrigerator (4°C) and freezer (-20°C)
- Lab freezers (-80°C)
- Soil and plant drying room (~48°C)
- Plant biomass drying oven
- Lab bench drying ovens
- Freeze dryer
- Walk-in grow room / incubator
- Dedicated and ventilated plant grinding room (Thomas Wiley Laboratory Mill Model 4)
- Dedicated and ventilated soil grinding room (Rolling Mill, Soil Grinder, and Ball Mill)
- Root washer
- Reach-in growth cabinets
- Floor centrifuges
- Muffle furnace
- Acid digestion system for Kjeldahl digests (Weston Block Digester)
- Ultra pure water system (deionized water)
- Liquid Scintillation Counter (Beckman LS6500)
- Tri-Carb Liquid Scintillation Counter (Perkin Elmer)
- GPS Total Stations
Research Stations and Teaching Facilities
- AAFC Brandon Research and Development Centre, Brandon MB
- AAFC Canada-Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (CMCDC), Carberry MB
- Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, Glenlea MB
- Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Churchill MB
- Department of Soil Science Undergraduate Teaching Lab
- Glenlea Research Station, Gleanlea MB
- National Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE)
- Trace Gas Manitoba (TGAS-MAN)
- Ian N. Morrison Research Farm, Carman, MB
- Kelburn Farm – Richardson International, Ritchot MB
